Twist & Go - May/June 2014 - Sample Edition

INCLUDING

347 BIKES & SCOOTERS RATED OR RIDDEN

BUYING GUIDE

Finding your perfect jacket

CAR v SCOOTER

The great mpg debate

THE MOT TEST

A1

LICENCE SPECIAL

WHAT CAN YOU GET FOR £2000?

20 OPTIONS FORYOUTO CONSIDER

TESTS: 125cc LAUtorNcycCH le and scooter tests

PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT VESPA SPRINT

Is your bike fit for the road?

PLUS: 8 other mo

TUCANOURBANO CLOTHING WORTH OVER

£240

IN OUR FREE-TO-ENTER COMPETITION *SEE PAGE 23

*Competition closes May 23, 2014. Other conditions apply – see entry form

COOLDRYCLOTHING WORTH£70 ‘ROCKIN’RIDE’ ROCKOILPACKAGE WORTH£75

No. 98 May/June 2014 £3.99

ALSO UP FOR GRABS

In association with

Heroflexesmuscle Indian manufacturer unveils hybrid scooter and a diesel workhorse.

Y

ou might not have heard of Hero, but you soon will. It’s a high street name in its native India, and claims to be the biggest bike manufacturer in the world (last year, it built its 50 millionth machine). Established as a joint venture with Honda in 1983, it’s now independent, with ambitions to export bikes and scooters to the west.

The Leap is a range extender scooter, with both petrol and electric power.

In short, it’s got something to prove, which was why it unveiled two interesting bikes at the Auto Expo Show in Delhi in February.

The Leap looks like a conventional scooter, but it’s actually a petrol-electric hybrid.

DEVELOPMENT First shown two years ago as a prototype, it’s now reached preproduction form. As well as a bog standard 124cc four-stroke single, the Leap has an 8kW electric motor and lithium-ion batteries.

Hero says it can run on either petrol or electric power alone.

MOBILE GENERATOR Crucially, the petrol motor can also be used to recharge the batteries, like ‘range extender’ cars such as the BMW i3 and Chevrolet Volt, addressing the limited range of pure electric scooters. Hero claims a top speed of 62mph in petrol-only mode, and reckons the electric motor’s 60Nm of torque gives better acceleration than conventional scooters when in e-mode.

There’s no on-sale date for the Leap yet, but Hero does say it has been designed with exports in mind. Piaggio’s hybrid MP3 didn’t come to anything, but maybe this will.

TWO-WHEEL-DRIVE The Leap may be designed for sophisticated city consumers, but Hero’s RNT is a workhorse with Indian farmers in mind.

It’s currently a concept bike, and the way-out spec includes a 150cc diesel engine with optional turbocharger and two-wheel drive!

The diesel puts out just 13bhp, with a useful-sounding 38Nm of torque at only 1600rpm. Hero claims a top

Pawan Munjal, MD and CEO of Hero, unveils the RNT at Delhi’s Auto Expo

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speed of 45mph, but the tractor-like torque should make it capable of towing trailers to market. Sturdy pannier racks and flat load platforms make it look like a serious load carrier as well – in Asia, two-wheelers often carry huge loads in workhorse mode.

OTHER USES The RNT is also designed to act as a mobile generator, the diesel offering 1500W, enough to power a lighting set or irrigation pump. For farmers who crave more speed, the optional turbo would double the power, says Hero. Certainly the 18in wheels and big disc brakes look capable of coping with a 60-70mph top speed.

But Hero also sees the RNT as a city bike, with the option of a 1.3hp electric motor in the front wheel to give electric-only running in urban areas. Or twowheel drive when the going gets tough in the Indian countryside.

PIPE DREAM At the moment the RNT is a concept bike only, and it’s unlikely we’ll ever see it on sale in the UK, certainly not in this form. But what an intriguing set of ideas to make up a twowheeled workhorse.

In association with

ONTHEGRAPEVINE:

IMFIndustriePtioscooter Imagine being able to customise your scooter almost like selecting a pick ’n’mix from the shop – well if these new 50cc scooters from IMF are anything to go by – you can.

Customers are able to select the colour of the frame, the fairing and also the material it is to be made from – steel, aluminium or wood.

Available in a four-stroke or a two-stroke version, the Ptio scooters have adjustable handlebars, a sidestand and a centrestand. They have been approved for use with a pillion too and can come with optional luggage and handlebar muffs.

There’s a guarantee for two years or 10,000km.

At the time of us going to press, they’re only available in France, with a price of €1129 for the four-stroke version and €1229 if you want the two-stroke. But we say, watch this space, as the French company, IMF, is currently trying to source a UK agent. If it doesn’t, we’re trying to work out how we can fit one of them in our hand luggage...

Take a look at these colourful additions to the range of scooters from IMF...

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In association with

THELIGHTOFTHECHARGEBRIGADE Vehicle manufacturers are making inroads into the technical and cost aspects of owning an e-vehicle.When they achieve their goal, we need to be ready for it – and what better way to start than with a free electric charger.

T

o reduce emissions and the UK’s overall carbon footprint, the Government and OLEV (Office of Low Emissions Vehicles) recently released £13.7 million for the supply and installation of electric vehicle charging units for any domestic UK premises. Basically, the Government pays for everything if you’re a homeowner, or have your landlord’s permission to install one. The scheme has been widely advertised via the internet and local press.

Installation is a fairly simple process

DO I NEED ONE? You may ask yourself “Why would I need an e-charge – and what’s the catch?” Well, like them or not, e-vehicles are destined to form a major part of our transport choice – and that includes e-scooters and motorcycles as well as e-cars.

The free installation catch? – There isn’t one; no upfront costs, no lengthy documents to fill in – it’s as simple as that.

I have no immediate plans to rush out and buy an e-scooter, but I may do in the future, so if a free installation is on offer, then there’s no reason for not getting it done. An installation date was agreed; the engineer duly arrived at the appointed time and discussions ensued: where should the outside box be; was there enough capacity on my electric meter board; where would the wires run?

With everything agreed, the actual installation took around an hour, then before leaving, the engineer explained how the unit operated. Basically, my unit came with a fixed industry standard connection lead five metres in length (plenty long enough for me). This immediately brought up a question; vehicles use charging cables with different fitting connections and charge rates.

So how do you get round that?

“Easy,” the engineer explained.

“The charging unit works in much the same way as a ‘smart’

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The lead can be left plugged in, but it does protude a little if you do that

battery charger does, allowing for a variable charge rate, depending on what is required.

The fitting coupling is a standard connector which then couples to the correct lead that should come with the particular electric vehicle when you purchase it – but if it doesn’t the leads are readily available via the internet.”

SECURITY My unit came with a built-in lock and key system to stop electricity theft. There’s a possibility that the glass cover could be smashed to gain access, but that’s risky for the perpetrator – if they’ve damaged the charging circuit, they could get an electric charge they wouldn’t want! When it’s not in use, the charge cable can either be left plugged into the storage socket, or (as it’s a waterproof connector) it can be wound around the unit.

As I previously stated, installation is absolutely free,

but what makes it even more of an interesting proposition is the claim that having one fitted could actually add up to £2000 to the value of your home (although only time will tell whether that claim is true or not).

To me it was a no-brainer.

Another (projected) claim is the running costs. Depending on your chosen e-vehicle the cost of a single electric charge can be anything from 2p per charge upwards. Balance this against the cost of fuel (which is only ever going to go up in price) and there’s an immediate saving, although this is countered by the cost of buying an e-vehicle. There’s also the argument about how and at what costs it takes to produce the electricity in the first place.

Other stumbling blocks are battery longevity (expensive to replace) and the distance that can currently be travelled on a single charge; an approximate distance of 25 miles might

be okay for some commuters, but will need greatly extending before it is embraced by the masses.

THE FUTURE The UK Government (and other European countries) are actively pushing vehicle manufacturers to provide an electric alternative within their ranges. Currently vehicle manufacturers are obliged to include a small, economical and affordable car, so how long until they have to do the same with electric cars – and even more importantly, how long will it be before this filters through to bikes and scooters?

Whether you are pro- or antielectric, you have to keep an open and positive mind for the future of e-vehicles. If they’re going to be the way forward in the fight against pollution, then we need to be ready to embrace them – and having an e-vehicle recharging point is a good way to be prepared.

Mau

espa, has launched a new Sprint to replace its Vespa S. The original Sprint from the mid-1960s was a two-stroke geared scooter. While other European countries will have a 50cc two-stroke option, the UK will see a four-stroke 125cc engine, complete with ABS, which is due to hit dealers in May.

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ENGINE The engine purrs beautifully through the torpedo exhaust and when easing back the throttle the response is immediate. Don’t be fooled, as this scooter is packing all sorts of new technology under its old-school styled looks.

It’s a new generation of engine – a single cylinder four-stroke engine with three-valves (2x intake and 1x exhaust) – which offers reduced emissions and an extra 30% economy than its predecessor, meaning it can now boast an impressive 133mpg from the eight litre tank.

The engine is mounted on a double rear swingarm (as on the Vespa GTS); this means less vibration is passed through the handlebars, footboards and seat.

HANDLING Nipping in and out of the crazy traffic in Rome, the Sprint did exactly what I wanted it to with its 10.5bhp – it was fast enough to be progressive and get me to the front when leaving the lights.

The scooter features a pressed steel and arc welded frame, which gives it improved rigidity. This contributes to the good handling and a fantastic feeling of stability and control. Vespa has made some changes to the front suspension and it now has ESS – Enhanced Sliding Suspension – instead of being fixed with two screws, there is a pin which allows the suspension to pivot on the bottom, allowing for greater movement and less friction. Overall the suspension coped with the cobbled streets well and larger bumps were dealt with too, making for a comfy ride.

SPEC: ENGINE

Four-stroke, fuel injected, single cylinder 125cc three-valve POWER

10.5bhp (7.9kW) BRAKES

Front: 200mm stainless steel disc with floating caliper Rear: 140mm drum TYRES

Front: Tubeless 110/70 x 12 Rear: Tubeless 120/70 x 12 SUSPENSION

Front: Single arm with coil spring and dual action monoshock absorber Rear: Coil spring with adjustable preload and dual action hydraulic monoshock SEAT HEIGHT

790mm

DRY WEIGHT

121kg

TANK CAPACITY

8 litres

CONTACT

www.uk.vespa.com PROS

Responsive engine Impressive mpg

There’s plenty of room for taller riders – courtesy of the lengthened frame – footboards are nice and narrow so that when you’re not filtering through traffic, you can place your legs down with ease – handy for shorter riders.

The front disc brake and rear drum were strong and did their job well, both when braking sharply and when coming to a slower stop.

DID YOU KNOW...

Vespa produced around 58,000 units in 2004, now it produces a whopping 190,600 a year… it’s made 1,300,000 in 10 years!

LOOKS It looks great – you can see that for yourself. In the UK it will be available in blue, red and yellow (not the white shown in some pictures), so you’ll be sure to stand out.

The design takes inspiration from previous models, including the 50 Special, by choosing a rectangular headlight. Sporty details such as the central tie with red detailing and the newly designed aluminium alloy wheel rims add to the dynamic look.

Accessories available include windscreen, footrest cover, graphic kits and a range of bags. The dash is clean and contains an analogue speedometer, with a digital display showing fuel level, odometer and two trip meters.

STORAGE

CONS

Rear drum brake No kick-start

PRICE

Around

£3600 TBC

By moving the battery from under the seat into the central tunnel of the footrest, the Sprint benefits from an underseat capacity of 16.6 litres – the Vespa S had 14.3 litres – meaning you can fit in a full-face helmet.

There’s also a decent sized glovebox at the front for smaller items which opens by pushing in the ignition unit.

Words: Carli Images: Vespa Press Office

IN DETAIL

Here’s a closer look at the details of the new Sprint (please note that the white option shown is not destined for the UK)

EXTENDING

STORAGE SPACE

Havetrailerwilltravel Do trailers work? We spent a few days with a Peugeot Metropolis and Squire D21 to find out…

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C

hoose to ride a bike and you immediately compromise one aspect of life you probably didn’t give much thought to before – carrying stuff around. Riding on two wheels is great; you slip through traffic; you’re out in the elements; and it has to be the most fun means of transport ever devised. But it is tricky to carry a lot of stuff.

Of course, there are partial solutions. Most scooters have some sort of underseat space, and a topbox is always useful. Motorcycles have combinations of hard and soft luggage, from simple tank bags to humungous aluminium panniers and boxes favoured by overland travellers. But even those can only carry a finite amount of gear.

Take the biggest touring motorcycle of all, the Honda Goldwing. Its factory-fitted panniers and topbox can swallow almost 150 litres of stuff, which is a lot for a bike, but pathetic by car standards – the most compact tin box (Smart car excepted) can take twice as much.

And even if that’s not enough, a big bike with fully laden bolt-on luggage is undeniably harder to handle than one without.

The combo will fit in a car parking space – just According to Watsonian-Squire, Britain’s biggest maker of sidecars, the answer is a trailer small enough to be towed behind a scooter or motorcycle, but with vastly more room than any onbike luggage system.

The trailer tested here packs just short of 600 litres of empty space. That’s about twice as

Towbar is the standard type, and gets plastered with dirt

much as a small hatchback – or to put it another way, the same as a fleet of four Honda Goldwings!

A trailer can leave the bike itself luggage-free, and therefore easier to ride, and it shouldn’t affect the bike’s handling one jot, staying flat on the road while the bike leans.

Is it all true, and is a trailer the answer to all our luggage problems? To find out, I borrowed Squire’s top of the range D21 trailer for a few days, and to make things more interesting, had it hitched to a Peugeot Metropolis. The plan being to take it shopping, to the local tip and garden centre. In short, do everything that a bike can’t. Did it work?

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO RIDE?

SPEC: SQUIRE D21 TRAILER WEIGHT

Traditionalists might argue that a sidecar will carry a lot of stuff as well, but a trailer has one key advantage.

Sidecars have their own riding peccadilloes, which need a lot of adaptation if you’re used to a solo bike or scooter. Trailers don’t, because they don’t affect

55kg (unladen) MAX LOAD

95kg

LENGTH

1.98m (inc towbar) WIDTH

0.99m

HEIGHT

0.79m

CAPACITY

594 litres

CONTACT

www.watsoniansquire.com/trailers

Trailer carries as much as a small car, which proved useful at the tip

PRICE £2795

(plus tow hitch on bike)

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY? There aren’t too many rules regarding trailers, and just as with a car, you don’t need to pass any extra test or have a special licence to use one. But there are a few stipulations...

• Bike/scooter must be over 125cc • Max weight of the trailer and its load is 150kg or twothirds of the bike’s unladen weight, whichever is least • Max trailer length 2.5 metres (measured from bike rear wheel spindle), width one metre • Speed limit: 50mph on single-carriageways, 60mph on dual-carriageways and motorways • Brakes aren’t required, but lights and number plate are • Let your insurer know you’re towing a trailer.

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You’ve got your A1 licence and now it’s time to buy a ride; or alternatively you may be looking to replace your existing bike.We sent Carli on a mission to find out just what you can get for under £2000...

But if you’re worried that your budget might be too small to afford a new bike, have you also considered a used alternative?Why not do what we did, and head down to your local dealer to see what they have in stock. However, be sure to check over anything pre-owned properly and watch out for things like corrosion, missing paperwork, tired suspension and chassis wear. Don’t be put off though, because by doing your homework, you can find some real corkers.

Some dealers offer dealership guarantees too...

Carli’s not-so-little helpers for the road tests: Mau, Steff Woodhouse, John Milbank

A1

LICENCE SPECIAL

SPEC: ENGINE

Four-stroke, forced aircooled single cylinder CAPACITY

124.6cc

POWER

5.3kW @ 7500 rev/min STARTING METHOD

Electric and kick TYRES

3.50 x 10 front and rear SUSPENSION

Front: trailing link forks Rear: swinging arm BRAKES

Front: disc Rear: drum FUEL CAPACITY

4.5 litres

SEAT HEIGHT

735mm

COLOURS

White or white/black CONTACT

www.ajsmotorcycles.co.uk PROS

12 month warranty Accelerates well CONS

Underseat storage Small fuel tank

PRICE £1226 WE SAY: Great alternative to the Vespa

★★★★★

AJSModena125 If a retro-looking scooter ticks the boxes for you, how about the brand-new Modena from British owned and Chinese produced, AJS Motorcycles?

W

ith classic looks and modern engineering and priced at just £1226, the Modena aims to be fun and offer good value for money.

ENGINE It accelerates well and reaches the max speed of around 56mph easily giving you plenty of confidence, even when out on national speed limit roads. In town, you can dart inbetween other road users and the prompt throttle means you can make the most of filtering to the front of the queue.

Tank capacity is 4.5 litres, which is quite small, so depending on your commute, it might not give you lots of time between fill ups.

RIDE I was really impressed with the suspension on the machine as it

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coped with bumps well and contributed to the great handling of the scoot. The riding position was comfortable and I particularly liked the protection the large front provided against the elements.

Although it looks comfortable, the seat was slightly hard and could benefit from more padding, especially for longer journeys.

Taller riders would find it a spacious choice as there was plenty of space for your feet and legs.

The disc brake on the front and the drum on the rear worked well and brought the scooter to an abrupt stop – doing their job a treat.

LOOKS Available in white and black and white, the Modena offers a good alternative if you’re looking for the ‘Vespa’ look but don’t have the cash.

With chrome detailing throughout and a luggage rack on the rear, it has features you wouldn’t associate with a scooter that costs just over £1200.

All of the controls were easy to use and the dash was clear and concise.

STORAGE There is under-seat storage and a large luggage rack on the rear. I would have liked more space under the seat as it won’t store a helmet.

Words: Carli Images: Joe Dick

SECOND OPINION: Mau: “The Modena handles well and feels secure and well-planted on the road, but the seat could be a little softer.”

A1

LICENCE SPECIAL

SPEC: ENGINE

Air-cooled, four-stroke 124.5cc POWER

10.9bhp (8.2kW) @ 9000rpm BRAKES

Front: 260mm hydraulic disc brakes Rear: 240mm hydraulic disc brakes TYRES

Front: 110/80 x 17 Rear: 130/70 x 17 SUSPENSION

Front: telescopic fork Rear: double suspension SEAT HEIGHT

N/A

WEIGHT

135kg

TANK CAPACITY

17 litres

CONTACT

www.wearemoto.co.uk PROS

One year warranty Smooth engine CONS

Sidestand cut-out in neutral Taller riders may struggle

PRICE £1799 WE SAY: Great quality at a fantastic price

★★★★★

KSRMotoCode125 The best of both worlds.We put the £1799 Code 125 to the test…

I

mported into the UK by Moore Large & Co, which has more than 40 years’ experience in the UK motorcycle industry, the Code 125 comes from the re-branded KSR Moto Austria and aims to fuse practicality with fun to give riders the best of both worlds.

Designed in Austria and built in China, the Code has European build quality at a Chinese price.

ENGINE The engine is solid and performs well. It has a manual choke, electric start and doesn’t take long to warm up. Once started, it ticks over nicely and definitely passes the neighbour test, as its exhaust is inoffensive.

Working my way up the five-speed gearbox, I was able to get to 6065mph. It’s extremely forgiving and helps you out if you’ve entered any corners in the wrong gear. The large fuel tank holds 17 litres which gives you plenty of time between fill-ups.

The sidestand features a cut-out

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switch, which means that the bike won’t turn over, when it’s down – I would have liked this to allow the bike to tick over when in neutral, then you could leave it on the stand to warm up. However, there’s also the option of using the centrestand.

RIDE The riding position was comfortable and sitting on it felt similar to a larger capacity machine. The seat is relatively low and at 5ft 6in I found it easy to get on and off. The wellpadded seat provides a good home for your derrière, even if you’re racking up the miles.

I was impressed with the suspension – it glides over the bumps with ease and passed on just a hint of what the tyres were travelling over.

You can share the ride with a pillion as there’s footpegs and a grab rail for them – which comes in handy for strapping a cargo net to for storage space. An informative dash gives you useful details such as the time, fuel

indicator, rev counter, speed and there’s a nice clear gear indicator.

LOOKS The Code is available in white and black – both have red wheel trims.

It’s got an aggressive-looking front light and looks reminiscent to some big bikes. It’s got some real attitude for a 125 and you’ll be proud to pull into any car park on it.

It has a high quality finish that many may not normally associate with a bike produced in China.

Words: Carli Images: Joe Dick

SECOND OPINION: John Milbank: “I really liked the Code. I was impressed with the ride and found it nice and easy to manoeuvre. As I’m 5ft 11in, I did feel a bit squashed though.”

•

SFM MadAss

£1999

If you’re looking for something completely different and want to stand out from the crowd, take a look at SFM Bikes of Germany and its MadAss. Production of this bike was ceased a year ago; however, there are still some hidden gems lurking in the dealership network, so look carefully and you could bag yourself a great deal! It’s got seriously funky looks and will definitely be a conversation starter. The fuel is kept in the frame so a fuel tank isn’t needed.

Stopping power is delivered by a disc brake at the front and a hydraulic unit at the rear. It features a mono shock absorber with adjustable preload. To find your local dealer visit: www.sfmbikes.co.uk/dealers

£959.99

Lexmoto is part of the Llexeter group, which has contacts with hundreds of companies in China – through those relationships it has developed experience of quality control and sourcing products especially for the UK market. Based in Exeter, it only sells its range through dealers.

The Valencia 125 is just one scooter from the range. It encapsulates retro styling and comes in for under £1000, so this four-stroke automatic scooter will leave you with plenty of change from your £2000 budget. It produces 8bhp and will hold 4 litres of fuel. It’s also available as a 50cc model too with the same great looks. It’s available in black, white and pink. There’s a handy luggage rack as well as underseat storage so finding places to put your belongings isn’t a problem. They’ve not forgotten pillions either, who are well looked after with a backrest as standard. The price also includes a one-year warranty.

To check out the rest of the range and for more information visit: www.lexmoto.co.uk or call 0844 567 8887

This 2010 model of the SYM Joyride has done 12,600 miles and is up for sale for £1595. It features plenty of underseat storage, a side and centrestand as standard and a windscreen to shield you from the elements on your daily commute or trip. With pillion footrests and grab rails on the rear, you’ll be able to take someone along for the ride too with the £405 change you’ll have…

•

•

Lexmoto Valencia 125

SYM Joyride £1595 USED ALTERNATIVE Honda Wave 110i

£1899

The Wave 110i is the latest model in a line that traces its evolution back to the Soichiro – Honda’s original Super Cub. Released back in 1958, the Super Cub was rugged, easy to use and affordable – key traits that the Wave 110i aims to fulfil in the modern day. Honda claims you can get around 130 miles between fill ups, which would mean an impressive 160mpg from the single cylinder, four-stroke engine. It’s a big wheeler with large 17in wheels which many people like due to the motorcyclelike handling. It boasts 7.1 litres internal storage space under the seat and caters for a pillion too with a grab rail and footrests. It’s available in black and red. There are some great finance deals available too, so check out the website for more information and to see the rest of the scooters in the range: www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/scooters

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TRIED & TESTED Oxford Warm Dry thermals £29.99 (long sleeved top) £29.99 (trousers) Reviewer: Jason

There are not many situations in my life that annoy me as much as being cold, which is why I always make sure I’m suitably layered up before I get on my bike to make the journey to and from work.

The Oxford Layers long sleeve top and trousers are brilliant at retaining heat as they are a tight fit – almost like a second skin. And thanks to the flat lock seams they’re extremely comfortable, so much so that I often forgot I was wearing them.

Both the items have an anti-bacterial treatment which removed any unwanted smells and the wicking properties of the material removed any moisture from my skin – especially handy when I was wearing

Spada Sixty2 Elle textile trousers £89.95

Reviewer: Carli

I often struggle with riding trousers; after all, I want them to have everything.

They need to offer good protection, keep my legs dry and warm and not be‘too’ unflattering. These textile trousers from Spada do just the job.

To stop that pesky draught from going up the back of your jacket, the back of the trousers are slightly higher, plus there’s a connecting zip for your jacket. The waist is adjustable so you can pull them in snug. There’s CE approved armour at the knee and pockets for hip armour too, I’m planning to get some aftermarket inserts to slot in.

What I particularly like is that they’re machine washable so you can remove the armour and stick them in the wash to get them nice and fresh – great if you’ve been commuting through winter and have half the local farmers’ fields on there.

Info: www.spadaclothing.co.uk 01384 413841

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TCX X-Rap ladies’ waterproof boot £129.99

Reviewer: Carli

On short trips and commuting rides, there’s a temptation to wear normal shoes as you’re often straight off the bike and into work or you have to walk round. Despite looking like a casual shoe, these boots offer extremely high levels of protection including CE certification, as well as a reinforced toe and heel area – and did I mention they’re waterproof too? On a recent launch, the XRap kept their promise and kept my feet dry.

They’re fastened with laces right to the top of the boot for a tight fit and the ladies’ version comes with pink laces in the boot and white laces in the box in case you want

to change them. They were easy to put on (providing you can do laces!) and once on comfortable to wear, I didn’t want to take them off. Admittedly they feel bulky, but they’re nowhere near as heavy or as cumbersome as some footwear designed for use on the bike.

There are versions available for you gents too –so check out the website to see what’s on offer.

So, they look good, they’ll protect you should you need them to and they keep your feet dry – what else can you ask for?

Info: www.nevis.uk.com / 01425 478936

these while suffering from a bout of the dreaded man flu.

They were fantastic at keeping me warm while being super comfortable, so are now a permanent fixture in my riding routine. You can get a one-piece under suit, but I prefer the versatility of the two-piece outfit. I wore the top as a T-shirt at work too which saved me getting changed and kept me toasty!

Info: www.oxprod.com

Voyager 1.0 waterproof gloves £59.99 Reviewer: Jason

I found the Voyager 1.0 gloves absolutely fantastic at keeping my hands dry on my daily commute. They are very easy to slip on and feel really comfortable and importantly, they don’t restrict your hand movement at all. They’re made from leather and have a silicone grip on the palm for extra grip.

The one thing that I like about these gloves the most is the visor wipe on the index finger.

I ride to work every day, come rain or shine, so my visor regularly gets dirty while I’m riding.

Being able to have a quick clean instead of pulling over every two minutes is great.

Info: www.oxprod.com

KIT ADVICE

Welcometoour

JacketBuyingGuide

Every issue we’ll be focusing on one piece of riding kit and giving you advice so that you can get the most for your money.We’ll look at features and benefits, safety standards and bring you a few choices from different brands. Last issue we covered helmets, this time we’re talking all things jackets…

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